ZFunds Founders Summit 2025: Industry Leaders Urge MFDs to be Future Ready

4 August (Gurugram): Mutual fund industry AUM recently reached a landmark of ₹74 lakh crores, and in the coming years, this growth will double. Emphasizing this rapid growth of India’s investment landscape, Radhika Gupta, Managing Director & CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Fund, stressed the increasing importance for mutual fund distributors (MFDs) to be future ready.

Addressing the MFDs at the ZFunds Founders Summit 2025, Radhika stated, “Mutual fund distributors are the backbone of our industry. In an era overflowing with information, it is their responsibility to ensure that investors receive clear, accurate, and relevant guidance. And for this, MFDs must be future-ready by leveraging technology, embracing innovation, and continuously upgrading their skills to meet the needs of a new generation of investors.”

She also called for increasing participation of women investors in the fold stressing that the mutual fund industry can help create lasting wealth and financial security for all sections of society.

Manish Kothari, CEO & Co-Founder of ZFunds, also emphasized the need for MFDs to stay ahead of the curve. He stated, “As the investor base continues to evolve - with younger, more affluent individuals entering the market - the importance of knowledgeable financial experts like MFDs will only increase. In this changing landscape, right guidance along with good tech will be what investors need.”

“MFDs have guided millions of investors nationwide, helping families build financial safety nets and achieve their aspirations. Their expertise and support have been instrumental in empowering investors at every step,” he added.

As there are only about 1.4 lakh MFDs currently active in the country, he also highlighted the need for more such future-ready experts to cater to the next gen of investors. 

Aashish P Sommaiyaa, Executive Director & CEO of WhiteOak Asset Management, noted during the event, “AUM in mutual funds has grown rapidly over the past few years and will continue to do so. As the new and young investors, who have a more aspirational mindset, enter the market, it becomes essential for MFDs to adapt. This means evolving both their communication approach and strategic engagement, with investor education playing a pivotal role in that transformation."

Other industry leaders present at the inaugural ZFunds Founders Summit 2025 included Saurabh Jain, Sales and Marketing Head, Union Asset Management; Gaurab Parija, Head – Sales and Marketing, Bandhan Asset Management; Hemant Kumar, Chief Distribution & Digital Officer, Tata Asset Management; Ritesh Pathak, Executive Group Vice President & National Head – Retail Sales, Motilal Oswal Asset Management; Prabhdeep Manocha, Zonal Head North & West India (Sales & Distribution).

The event also witnessed some insightful panel discussions on Mutual Funds and PMS, SIF & AIF. The panelists included Anand Sharma, Fund Manager-MF Equity, ICICI Prudential Asset Management; Priya Ranjan, Fund Manager & Senior Equity Analyst, HDFC Mutual Fund; Aditya Khemani, Fund Manager, Invesco Mutual Fund; Abhishek Anand, Fund Manager, Motilal Oswal; Andrew Holland, Head, SIF, Nippon Asset Management; and Sandip Bansal, Deputy CIO, ASK Investment Managers.